JPH0456883A - Charge image information transfer device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To achieve the transfer of charge image information which ensures accuracy and high resolution by allowing the electric field of the charge image to be reacted with a light modulating body, while exceeding the threshold of the light modulating body in a condition where the interval between the charge image forming body and the light modulating body is less than the prescribed distance. CONSTITUTION:The charge image with respect to the charge image forming body 10 is formed in the condition for which the potential is suppressed. The transfer of the charge image information is carried out while making the charge image forming body 10 approach to the light modulating body 28. Since the electric field of the charge image is low, the electric field reaches the threshold of a light modulating layer 30, in a position where both of them are very close to each other. Thus, the electric field before diffusion acts on the light modulating layer 30, and the transfer of the charge image information can is carried out to show high resolution. Thus, the transfer of the charge image information, which ensures the accuracy and high resolution, can be achieved.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention [Industrial Field of Application] The present invention allows information corresponding to a charge image formed on a charge image forming body to be optically transmitted by bringing a light modulator close to or in contact with a charge image forming body. The present invention relates to a charge image information transfer device that transfers and records onto a modulator.

[Prior Art] As a charge image information transfer device for recording charge image information formed on a charge image forming body onto a light modulating body, for example, Japanese Patent Application No. 1996-1
There are various types, including one for which a patent application has been filed as No. 64590. FIG. 6 shows a conventional example of such a charge image information transfer device.

The charge image forming body 10 includes, for example, an electrode 12 and a charge retention layer 14.
The recording head 16 forms a charge image. The recording head 16 has a structure in which an electrode 18 and a photoconductive layer 20 are laminated, and the photoconductive layer 20 is arranged to face the charge retention layer 14 . A driving voltage 22 is applied between the electrodes 12 and 18.

When an optical image of the subject 24 is projected onto the photoconductive layer 20 via the optical system 26 in this state, the impedance distribution of the photoconductive layer 20 changes in accordance with the projected optical image. Then, an air discharge occurs between the gap between the charge retention layer 14 and the photoconductive layer 20, and the object 2 is exposed to the charge retention layer 14.
A charge image corresponding to 4 is now formed.

The charge image formed on the charge image forming body 10 as described above is transferred to the light modulating layer 30 of the light modulating body 28 as shown in FIG. That is, with the electrodes 12 and 32 short-circuited, the charge image forming member 10 and the light modulator 28
1. For example, the light modulator 28 indicated by the arrow FA
movement will be carried out.

Then, when the electric field of the charge image acting on the light modulation layer 30 exceeds a threshold value for a change in light transmittance in the light modulation layer 30, the charge image is transferred to the light modulation layer 30.

That is, the distribution of light transmittance of the light modulating layer 30 changes in accordance with the charge image. Note that the light modulation layer 30 that has been transferred
When irradiated with light, the intensity distribution corresponds to the light transmission weight distribution, and thereby the transferred image can be read out.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] Incidentally, since the lines of electric force of the charge image extend to diverge from the charge, the electric field due to the charge image also increases the distance or distance between the charge image forming body IO and the light modulator 28. It becomes a diffused state in response to . That is, when the distance between the charge image forming member IO and the light modulator 28 is large, the image becomes blurred and the resolution deteriorates.6 Therefore, in order to perform high-resolution transfer faithful to the charge image, it is necessary to is the charge image forming body 10
It is necessary to make the electric field due to the charge image exceed the threshold value of the light modulator 28 while the distance between the light modulator 28 and the light modulator 28 is below a certain level.

However, the above-mentioned conventional technology lacks consideration to this point, and therefore has the disadvantage that it is not possible to transfer a good charge image with high resolution.

The present invention has been made in view of the above, and an object of the present invention is to provide a charge image information transfer device capable of transferring charge image information with high fidelity and high resolution.

[Means for Solving the Problems] The present invention provides a charge image information transfer device that transfers the charge image to the light modulator by bringing a light modulator close to or in contact with a charge image forming member on which a charge image has been formed in advance. characterized by comprising means for causing the electric field of the charge image to act on the light modulator in a state where the distance between the charge image forming member and the light modulator exceeds a threshold value of the light modulator in a state where the distance between the charge image forming member and the light modulator is equal to or less than a desired distance. That is.

[Function] According to the present invention, an electric field exceeding the threshold value acts on the light modulator when the distance is below a desired distance, and when the electric field of the charge image is dispersed, the charge image information is Since the transfer of charge image information, where no transfer is performed, is performed at a position where the electric field is not dispersed, the transferred information has a high resolution.

[Embodiments] Hereinafter, embodiments of the charge image information transfer device according to the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the same reference numerals are used for components that are similar or equivalent to those of the conventional example described above.

<First Embodiment> First, a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. The basic configuration of this embodiment is the same as that of the conventional example shown in FIG. 6. However, in this embodiment, a charge image is formed on the charge image forming member IO while suppressing its potential. That is, the drive voltage 22 shown in FIG. 6fA) is set to a lower value than in the conventional example. The electric field due to the charge image formed in this way is lower than that of the conventional one.

Transfer of the charge image information is carried out by bringing the charge image forming member 10 and the light modulator 28 close to each other as shown in FIG. 1FA), as in the conventional example described above. In this case, in this embodiment, since the electric field of the charge image is low, the electric field of the charge image is applied to the light modulating layer 30 at a very close position as shown in fB) in the same figure.
reaches the threshold of . For this reason, the light modulating layer 3
0, the electric field before diffusion comes to act, and transfer of charge image information with high resolution is performed.

Second Embodiment Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. In this second embodiment, as shown in FIG.
It has a configuration in which it is connected between 2.32 and 32. This transfer power source 40 is configured so that when a bias voltage is applied between the electrodes 12 and 32 at the time shown in FIG.
The output settings are such that an electric field approximately equal to the threshold value is generated.

The charge retention layer 14 of the charge image forming body 10 includes the above-mentioned first layer.
With a voltage even lower than in the example, that is, with only the electric field of the charge image, the electric field does not exceed the threshold of the light modulation layer 30 even when the charge image forming body 10 and the light modulation body 28 are in contact with each other. Formation of a charge image takes place. Initially, when the charge image forming body 10 and the light modulating body 28 are approaching, the switch 42 is in the rOF FJ state as shown in FIG.

Then, when the charge image forming member 10 and the light modulator 28 reach a desired distance or contact state for transfer, the switch 42 is switched from roFFJ to rONJ.

Then, the electric field due to the charge image and the electric field due to the bias voltage of the transfer power source 40 are applied to the light modulating layer 30 in a weighted manner. As mentioned above, the electric field due to the bias voltage corresponds to the threshold value of the light modulation layer 30, so the electric field due to the charge image acts well on the light modulation layer 30, and the transfer is performed. Become.

According to the second embodiment, in addition to the effects of the first embodiment described above, charge image information can be transferred well even if the initial charge formation is performed by applying a very low driving voltage. There is an effect.

It should be noted that the following modifications of the second embodiment as described above are also available. First, the charge image forming body 10 is heated so that an electric field equal to or higher than a threshold value acts on the light modulation layer 30 at a desired transfer interval.
Next, while applying a reverse bias that cancels out the electric field caused by the charge image, the charge image forming member 10 and the light modulator 28 are brought close to each other, and the distance between the two is set to a desired distance. If the electric field due to the reverse bias is removed when the electric field is removed, the electric field due to the charge image will be
Similarly, high-resolution transfer can be performed.

<Third Embodiment> Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. In this third embodiment, as shown in the figure (Al), the transfer power sources 50 and 52 are connected in parallel so that they have opposite polarities.

These transfer power sources 50 and 52 are connected between the electrodes 12 and 32 via a switch 54. Transfer power source 50
When the electric field due to the charge image exceeds the threshold value, the light modulating layer 30
The transfer power source 52 is provided to prevent the electric field caused by the charge image from acting on the light modulation layer 30 in a manner that exceeds a threshold value.

Initially, when the charge image forming body 10 and the light modulating body 28 are approaching, the switch 54 is switched to the transfer power source 50 side, as shown in FIG.

This causes the voltage from the transfer power source 50 to be applied to the electrodes 12.
32, and the light modulating layer 30 is reversely biased. Therefore, the electric field caused by the charge image is canceled by the reverse bias voltage, and the charge image information is not transferred.

Then, when the charge image forming body 10 and the light modulating body 28 reach a desired distance or contact state for performing transfer, the switch 54 is switched to the transfer power source 52 side. Then, the electric field due to the charge image and the electric field due to the forward bias voltage from the transfer power source 52 are applied to the light modulation layer 30 in a superimposed manner. Therefore, the electric field caused by the charge image acts on the light modulation layer 30 well beyond the threshold value, and the information is transferred.

According to the third embodiment, in addition to the effects of the first embodiment, the bias caused by the transfer power source 50. By appropriately setting the voltage value, there is an effect that good charge image information can be transferred.

<Fourth Example> Next, a fourth example of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. In this fourth embodiment, the charge image forming body 60
is formed into a drum shape as a whole, and a charge retention layer 62. is formed on the outside thereof. Electrodes 64 are each formed inside.

Further, an AC if source 66 is connected between the electrodes 3264. The light modulator 28 is configured to be sent in the direction of the arrow FB, and the charge image forming body 60 is configured to rotate in the direction of the arrow FC. Then, in synchronization with these feeds or rotations, a pulsed bias voltage is applied to the AC power source 66.
It is designed to be output from.

In this fourth embodiment, a light modulator 28 and a charge image forming member 60
The interval between the closest portion and the transfer interval is set to a desired transfer interval. The electric field acting on the light modulation layer 30 due to the output voltage of the AC power source 66 is set to be approximately equal to a threshold value at the closest position.

Therefore, the feeding of the light modulator 28 or the charge image forming member 60
As the image information rotates, the charge image information is transferred only at the closest position, and transfer with high resolution can be performed as in the above-described embodiment.

Fifth Embodiment> Next, a fifth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. In this fifth embodiment, the charge image forming body 70
has a structure in which a photoconductive layer 72 is formed between a charge retention layer 62 and an electrode 64. The photoconductive layer 72 is irradiated with a laser beam from a laser device 74 at a position where the light modulator 28 and the charge image forming body 70 are closest to each other. The laser light is irradiated as a scanning spot light or a linear light.A transfer power source 76 is connected between the electrodes 32 and 64.

According to this embodiment, the laser beam is irradiated while the bias voltage from the transfer power source 76 is applied. Then,
The impedance of the photoconductive layer 72 decreases only at the closest position between the light modulator 28 and the charge image forming body 70, and an electric field due to a bias voltage that is larger than that in the non-irradiated portion acts on that portion. That is, in the light modulation layer 30, an electric field equal to or higher than the threshold value is applied at the closest portion irradiated with the laser beam, and high-resolution charge image information transfer is possible in the same manner as in the fourth embodiment. becomes.

<Other Examples> Note that the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments (for example, the following examples are also included).

(For example, the charge retention layer of the charge image forming body may be one in which charges are retained on the surface, such as a high-resistance material such as silicone resin, or one in which highly conductive fine particles are embedded near the surface of the resin layer to retain charges inside.) Alternatively, in FIG. 6(A), since charges are also formed on the surface of the photoconductive layer 20, the photoconductive layer may be used as a charge image forming body.

(2) Furthermore, a charge image forming method as shown in FIG.

First, the one shown in FIG. 20 surface.

This photoconductive layer 20 is used as a charge image forming body.

Next, in the case shown in FIG. 2B, the charge image forming member 82 has a structure in which a charge retention layer 884 is formed on the surface of the photoconductive layer 20. In this example, a charge image is formed on the surface of the charge retention layer 84. In addition, the one shown at +C1 in the same figure uniformly charges the photoconductive layer 20 of the recording head 16 with a corona charger 86, and then exposes it to an optical image of the subject 24 to form a charge image. be.

(3) Next, as the light modulation layer of the light modulator, for example, a polymer-liquid crystal composite film, PLZT, or the like is used.

(4) In the above embodiment, the charge image formed is a positive charge, but the present invention is similarly applicable even when the charge image is a negative charge.

In addition, various design changes can be made within the range of achieving the same effect.

[Effects of the Invention] As explained above, according to the charge image information transfer device according to the present invention, the threshold value of the light modulator is Since the electric field of the charge image is made to act on the light modulation layer beyond 200 nm, there is an effect that the charge image information can be transferred with high fidelity and high resolution.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing a first embodiment of a charge image information transfer device according to the invention, FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing a second embodiment of the invention, and FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing a third embodiment of the invention. Explanatory diagram showing 4th
The figure is an explanatory diagram showing the fourth embodiment of the present invention, Fig. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing the fifth embodiment of the present invention, Fig. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing the conventional example, and Fig. 7 is an explanatory diagram showing various charge image formations. It is an explanatory diagram showing a method. 10.60.70... Charge image forming body, 12°32.6
4... Electrode, 14.62-... Charge retention layer. 28-... Light modulator, 30... Light modulating layer, 40.50
゜52.66.76-・-Transfer power supply, 42.54・-
Switch, 20.72... Photoconductive layer, 74-... Laser device. Patent applicant: Victor Japan Co., Ltd.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] A charge image information transfer device in which a light modulator is brought close to or in contact with a charge image forming member on which a charge image has been formed in advance to transfer the charge image to the light modulator, comprising the steps of: A charge image information transfer device comprising means for causing an electric field of a charge image to act on the light modulator in a state where the distance between the light modulator and the light modulator exceeds a threshold value of the light modulator. .